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Sunday, February 28, 2010

Welcome to the 2010 race. We are number 23 this year. from Snow Eagles Air Racing Team by snoweaglesracingteam - WE ARE PROUD TO ANNOUNCE WE ARE AIR RACE CLASSIC NUMBER 23 - The new 2010 Snow Eagles race team, will consist of 3 female pilots. We are racing for a charity once again this year. We will be racing for the Nebraska Chapter of the Make-A-Wishfoundation. Dr. Suzanne Braddock lives in Omaha. She is a dermatologist with an office in Omaha. has been a licensed pilot since 1984, with private and instrument ratings. She initially became interested in aviation when the State of Nebraska flew her to North Platte, Ne for a medical clinic several times a month…

Best of the Web - Golf Hotel Whiskey by John | Society of Air Racing Historians. History buffs may also want to check out the website of the Society of Air Racing Historians which includes in-depth coverage of the air races between 1929 and 1949 along with plenty of must-see ...

WWII planes set to land Monday at Mound - Vicksburg Post | A B-24J Liberator, the only fully restored and flying plane of its kind, is scheduled to land at 2 pm along with a B-17 bomber and a P-51 long-range support ...

History takes flight at March Field Air Museum - Inland Valley Daily Bulletin | At the March Field Air Museum in Riverside there is a Folland Gnat, one of the smallest jet planes to fly - it's painted bright red and is dwarfed by most ...

Regina couples make stop at air museum - Minot Daily News | "I became a POW 66 years ago today," said Yeomans, during a visit to the Dakota Territory Air Museum in Minot Saturday. "I'm glad to be here today, he said, ...

Teen aims high for his next test - Daily Breeze | His parents fed his interest by giving him flight simulators and, at age 8, they took him to an EAA Young Eagles event in Torrance where he got to fly in a ...

NBC: Brokaw Feature on Gander, Newfoundland after 9/11/01from FlyerTalk Forums by dstan | This afternoon during its Vancouver Olympics coverage, NBC aired a 45 min feature by Tom Brokaw on the town and residents of Gander, Newfoundland. Unfortunately, I cannot find it online, and I can only hope that it will appear somewhere, but it's too good a story not to share for lack of a link. I'll try to summarize…

Aviation Trivia of the Day by JP Santiago - Long before the Cirrus SR22series of composite aircraft flew, and even long before the composite Beech Starship flew, there was a general aviation aircraft that was made of all glassfiber plastics in an effort to make an affordable two-seat training aircraft that was easy to build. In mid-1958, Piper Aircraft started development of the PA-29 Papoose with the intent of putting an aircraft to market that would cost substantially less to build than other comparable types that used standard construction techniques and materials…

Hawaii Wing of the Civil Air Patrol Jumps Into Action from Notes from the field?
Today at 0600 local Hawaii time, the Hawaii Wing of the Civil Air Patrol – the Civilian Auxiliary of the Air Force – launched 9 Cessna aircraft to initiate tsunami warnings for the islands of Hawaii.
This is a critical mission for the Hawaii wing, they are tasked with being ready to launch within 1 hour of being alerted and according to an article on the Civil Air Patrol media site, they were able...

Air show is a go - Herald Times Reporter
Those military jets will be screaming through the skies once again June 5 and 6 at the Manitowoc County Airport, according to a news release. ...

Polish MiG-29 to return to RAF Leuchars Airshow - UK Airshow News ...
Francois Brevot reports from the European Airshow Council Convention on Twitter that the Polish Air Force MiG-29 will return to the RAF Leuchars Airshow in 2010. The solo display has been a popular addition to the flying display in 2006 ...

Dhruv helicopter crashlands while rehearsing for air show - dnaindia.com
An Advanced Light Helicopter 'Dhruv' of the Indian Air Force today crash-landed in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer district while rehearsing for the 'Vayu Shakti' air power show to be held there tomorrow.
The helicopter was part of the Sarang Helicopter Display Team of the IAF and was rehearsing for tomorrow's air show, when the incident occurred, IAF officials said here.
"Both pilots are safe after they had to make a controlled crash-landing due to loss of power in the chopper," they added. The IAF has ordered a Court of Inquiry to look into the reasons behind the incident, the officials said. ...

Friday - Sunday, Apr 30, 2010 - May 2, 2010 - CENTRAL SIERRA HELICOPTER MEET, GROVELAND, CA from FunPlacesToFly.com Aviation Events
Annual Central Sierra Helicopter Meet. April 30 May 1 & 2 2010, is the date for our fifth year Helicopter meet. This is an all Helicopter event. Thru the years, the event has been very successful, and this year will be even more exciting. We will have several factory ships some giving lessons and rides. We will have reps from...

Flying Tiger Reunion - Geneseo 2008 Air Show - Flying Tigers News
The show was advertised as the "P-40 Flying Tigers Reunion" with other interesting and rare planes such as the B-24 OL 9247, the famed B-17F Memphis Belle (replica made from from an actual B-17G model), this replica was used in the ...

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Female WWII pilot overlooked no more - Journal Gazette and Times-Courier
During the course of what ended up being a relatively brief career with WASP, Mace flew seven different types of aircraft, including the B-25. ...

Washington woman to receive civilian honor - Seattle Post Intelligencer
"I thought this would be kind of fun," she said, adding it was also a requirement for women to fly in the military. "You'll find many of the WASPs came in ...

Short Miriam Tribute - Part One from www.354thpmfg.com
... This would be the first of four airfields he would fly from in France. When he arrived at A-2, Davis never got to practice in the new P-51; he would have to go on his first mission never having flown in the Mustang. "I was so intent on staying on my element leader's wing that he shot down a ME-109 on my first mission and I didn't even know it." At this point, Lt. Davis didn't have his own aircraft, so he would fly Capt. Jim O'Conner's on most of the early missions. He had a close call at this first airstrip when his engine starting running rough on the return flight. The engine eventually died and he had to "dead stick" the landing with no power, and when his crew removed the cover from the engine, light showed through it on both sides. The Packard-built Merlin V-1650-3 engine had thrown two pistons and ripped a hole clear through the block. ...

The Story of Larry C Thornton, MIA in Laos, Continues from Remembering World War Two Airmen
After a recent posting about Master Sgt. Larry C. Thornton, whose memorial I came across by chance at the Iona Cemetery during a run a few weeks back, I have found out more about him.
A new friend of mine who operates his MIA page on on an MIA/POW webring contacted me and told me that Larry has a building named for him down at Hill Air Force Base in Roy, Utah. Here are photos ...

Skellig Michael, 27 February 1944 - Landscape Photography in Kerry, Ireland
Those 11 men where on a anti-German submarine patrol as part of the United States Navy Fleet Airwing 7 when the Liberator PB4Y -1 aircraft struck the highest point of Skellig Michael, on February 27, at 1.03 am . The aviation fuel in the wing tank exploded and the ammunition on board the aircraft followed immediately . When the lighthouse keeper on the Skellig went out to see what has happened, he saw a huge fireball on the north face of the rock. A search for any survivors began instantly without any result. No wreckage was ever found. ...

Mayors skydive to show support - 7Online WSVN-TV
South Florida Politicians skydived with the Golden Knights to show support for the military. South Florida mayors strapped themselves to US ...

Crash in the 1949 Thompson Trophy Race - cleveland.com via OneRiot.com
This photo is part of the following galleries: Cleveland National Air Races 1929 to 1949 You must accept the terms of service before...

Concorde is back!! from Aviation news - Planegrazy
The world's fastest civil airliner sadly flies no more. With this prestigious documentary programme you can fly this beautiful aircraft again. Take your privileged place with the pilots and crew on the actual flight deck of a scheduled British Airways return flight from London to New York.
Captain David Rowland and Senior Flight Engineer Roger Bricknell will take you on a full guided tour of this incredible aircraft, starting with an introduction outside the hangar at London Heathrow and a detailed 'Walk Around' including the nose and visor system which you see working.
During the two flights David and Roger guide you through the systems that enable this aircraft ...

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Republican, Democrat, or Independent----------you have got to see this! How can this be happening????

Unbelievable, isn't it!!! Everyone needs to see this... I foresee many many flyovers by the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels being cancelled in the next three years too. Also demonstrations by the Golden Knights and our service bands. This guy is out of control!!!

Obama denied a military flyover at the annual God and Country? Rally in Idaho , where new military recruits were inducted and all military were honored. This is the first time in 42 years that there has not been a military flyover in formation, and organizers were stunned that Obama refused to allow this. When the lady organizing the event contacted the Pentagon to ask why this was not allowed, as it had occurred every year for 42 years, she was told it was because of the event is of a Christian nature.

The video also mentions that when Obama made a recent speech, a cross and a Christian symbol for Jesus had to be covered first.

This is beyond unbelievable action by the Commander in Chief and President, and Americans need to know about it!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Note: it seems appropriate to share this at this time...]
From Marine Corps Chaplain Father Dennis O'Brien:
"It is the soldier, not the poet who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the soldier, not the reporter who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the soldier, not the campus organizer who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.
And it is the soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who gives the protester the right to burn the flag."

REIDER TURNS BLUE AND GOLD – ASB.tv | Air Show Announcer Rob Reider recently spent a few days with the USN Blue Angels at their winter training in El Centro, CA. Rob had the honor of assisting the new number seven who will be narrator for the team for the 2010 season. He also had the thrill of his life. A special flight with the Blues

Air show is a go - Herald Times Reporter | The show will feature civilian aerobatic pilots, World War II-era aircraft, ground displays, hot-air balloons and military fighter jets. ...

Virgin America's 'Fly Girls' Take Off from Aviation news - Planegrazy by Mr. Plane | Virgin America, the only California-based airline, tonight joins forces with The CW and Collins Avenue Productions to celebrate "Fly Girls," the new television docu-series that takes a 360-degree look at the airline's flight crew as they live their lives at 500 MPH. The series will debut on The CW at 9:30pm on March 24, 2010. In advance of the show's network debut, tonight the exclusive in-flight premiere of "Fly Girls" will take off onboard a Virgin America flight en route to Las Vegas, followed by a red carpet launch party for the show at Lagasse's Stadium at The Palazzo Las Vegas. To celebrate the premiere with flyers, earlier this week Virgin America announced the Primetime Fare Sale…

WAI Connect Blog: It's Not Just Amelia!by Pat | …board member, Air Race Classic and Ninety-Nines Endowment Fund Collegeville, Pennsylvania "Patty Wagstaff, because I love aerobatics. And Suzanne Oliver. I met her at an air show and she was so down to earth and helpful. ...

At 98 — Still sinking putts - The Herald | ... know that the man is also a former Second World War pilot, who entered the Guineas Book of Records by being the oldest pilot to complete the Wing Walk. ...

MoCo One Step Closer To Getting New Jail - KSBW The Central Coast | The crux of the issue, however, is that the land is in the center of the crash zone for the California International Air Show. The air show, and businesses ...

Spitfire VIII bound for Germanyfrom Aeroplane Monthly News | The only Supemarine Spitfire Mk VIII fighter in Britain has been sold and will move to Germany.

Vet served as WWII bombardier in Europe - Carroll County Times | Twenty-year-old Lt. Max Wiener was on his seventh bombing mission in a B-17 bomber over Germany. He was heading to a town named Ruhland to bomb its oil ...

City administrators recommend restoring two vintage planes (Vancouver) CHQR Newsroom | City administrators are recommending $1.6 million dollars be spent to restore two vintage airplanes to static display conditions. The De-Havilland Mosquito and Hawker Hurricane have been a source of controversy over the last couple of years as aldermen debated whether to sell one plane to restore the other. Initially the plan was to sell the Mosquito to a private investor in the U.K and use the proceeds to restore the Hawker but, after much debate, it was decided to look at what the public wanted and the feasibility of restoration. A report going to a city hall committee says to restore the two aircraft will cost $1.6 million dollars. That will restore the engines, propellers and major components to maintain the historic integrity of the aircraft and allow it to be on static display. Restoring the Mosquito to flying condition would cost $4.6 million, while it would cost nearly $2 million to restore the Hawker Hurricane.

Hybrid planes are on the horizon from Kansas.com: Aviation by MOLLY MCMILLIN | A former president of Cessna Aircraft is working on a project to use electric hybrid propulsion instead of aviation fuel to power light general aviation aircraft. Charlie Johnson, the former Cessna leader, is chief operating officer and one of the founders of Bye Aerospace, and its subsidiary Bye Energy, the company heading the effort. The project — called the Green Flight Project — was officially launched last week.

Aviation Trivia of the Day by JP Santiago | One year before Boeing announced the go-ahead of the Boeing 727 program on 5 December 1960, there were serious reservations within the manufacturer about whether or not to proceed with the 727. At the time Boeing's commercial division was still quite a bit smaller than the military aircraft division and the company's desire to have wide customer base resulted in numerous variations in the Boeing 707/720 family that stretched the company's resources to the point that for every 707 delivered, Boeing was taking a $1 million loss. At this point, the De Havilland in Britain was about a year ahead of Boeing on work on its own trijet, the DH.121 Trident which was designed to broadly meet a similar set of specifications as that of the 727…

Friday, February 26, 2010

Air show added to homecoming - Andalusia Star-News
An Air Show featuring "aerobatic" stunts is the latest event to be confirmed for the weekend of Nov. 13, when Andalusia will celebrate Homecoming 2010 in conjunction with Alabama's Year of Downtowns and Small Towns. ...

Airbourne 2010 Launched by Flightline UK
Eastbourne Borough Council have launched Airbourne 2010 unveiling the first details of this year's flying displays. The full line up can be seen in our detailed preview on the main site.
The official Airbourne Launch Party took place last week at Towner, Eastbourne's award-winning art gallery, to exclusively reveal this year's flying programme for the international airshow, which returns to the south coast from 12-15 August. ...

Vulcan XH558 "must have a guardian angel" - Bournemouth Daily Echo
Air Festival director Jon Weaver said they were "absolutely delighted" with the news. He said: "The Vulcan is one of the main attractions for an air ...

Lowestoft Air Festival boosts Air Scouts - The Lowestoft Journal
Providing volunteers at last year's Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival has led to the 1st Carlton Colville Air Scouts receiving a welcome reward. ...

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Oshkosh Site Changes for 2010 Mean More Ease, Less Dust from EAA - The Experimental Aircraft Association
AirVenture 2009 introduced some of the most significant site changes in the fly-in's history. The good news for those coming to Oshkosh in 2010 is that there are more changes on the way that will add convenience and comfort for EAA members and others at the event.

EAA Launches Webinar Program
Beginning March 3, EAA will offer a regular series of "webinars" (short for "web-based seminars") as a new service to members. A webinar is a multimedia presentation transmitted live over the internet, viewed on a computer. The presenter can use slides, audio, and video as part of their presentation, while audience members can ask questions, chat, or be polled for their opinion.

Legendary 'Chicago' to Play AirVenture Opening Day
After a full opening day of flying on Monday, July 26, at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2010, AeroShell Square will feel the power of more than aircraft, as the legendary band Chicago takes the stage that evening, courtesy of Ford Motor Company. ...

'Hawk One' Sabre Coming to AirVenture
A Canadair Sabre 5 fighter jet owned by Vintage Wings of Canada will return to one of its many former homes this summer-Oshkosh, Wisconsin-where it will be a featured warbird attraction at EAA AirVenture 2010.

Women in Aviation Kicks Off 21st Annual Conference
The 21st Annual Women in Aviation, International conference kicked off in Orlando Thursday, featuring over 184 exhibit booths and close to 3,000 attendees from various parts of the Aviation industry and locations around the world. The conference, based at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort, is themed "Aviation: It's a Small World" and runs through Sunday, February 28.

Group Vows to Return Concorde to Flight
An organization aiming to make the Concorde an aircraft again recently received encouraging news for their long-shot effort. UK-based Save Concorde Group (SCG) reports that its French counterpart, "Olympus 593"-after the Rolls Royce turbojet that powered Concorde-has received permission from the Le Bourget Air Museum, Paris, to start working on the Air France Concorde "Sierra Delta," which is based there.

Sponsoren verlängern Engagement mit Matthias Dolderer From www.matthiasdolderer.com
Matthias Dolderer can count again on the support of powerful partners during the Red Bull Air Race World Championship 2010. Four weeks before the first race of the season, Casio, Playboy and Total signed up again their sponsorship contracts. Good news for the 39 years-old German, who currently prepares the race plane and himself in a pre-season training camp in California, USA. ...

Chapter Trip to *Red Bull Air Races* - Skylark Flyers Blog
The chapter is planning on chartering a bus to go to the Red Bull Air Races in Jersey City on June 20. With the grandstand ticket on race day, it looks like the cost of the trip will be about $100/person. It would be less to get general ...

Curtiss Jenny Time Machine from aroundthepattern.com
A few posts back I mentioned that my wife and I traveled down to the San Francisco Bay area to visit some friends and get to get a ride in one of their airplanes.1918 Curtiss Jenny Instrument Panel Our involvement in Aviation circles has allowed us to meet some fantastic people working in all facets of Aviation. One of those people is Frank Schelling, the owner of an original 1918 Curtiss JN-4H "Hisso Jenny" based at the Schellville, CA airport (0Q3). Frank bought a restorable Jenny in 1972 and spend the 31 years restoring it to it's original flying condition.
Frank has a private pilot certificate that he obtained in 1968, but he does not fly the Jenny solo. There are 3-4 pilots/instructors who have been checked out to fly the Jenny and are named ...

Flypast: Doomed fairey was 'bus of the air' - Staines News
WHEN the prototype Fairey Rotodyne clattered into Heathrow on a June morning in 1959, in a whirl of excitement, there was plenty of well-founded optimism that this unconventional-looking machine would transform short haul air travel.
It was intended to be a bus of the air, carrying about 30 passengers, with the vertical take-off and landing capabilities of a helicopter combined with the speed of a small airliner.
City centres would be linked without all the fuss of surface transport to airports and it was expected that Heathrow would play host to Rotodynes linking with services operated by conventional planes.
But that summer day 51 years ago ...

John Lyman Zimmerman, MD - Fremont News Messenger
Following his training to become a B-17 pilot, he was shipped to Deenethorpe, England. He was on his second mission as the co-pilot of the "Round Tripper," ...

Iowa pilots help others soar from Letters from Flyover Country
What's this? Yet another media story about Aviation that's positive. Today's Omaha World Herald profiles the folks at WC Aircraft works down in Boone, Iowa: ...

Reserve offers teen leadership summit from Grissom Air Reserve Base, Ind.
Teens with a parent in the Air Force Reserve or Air National Guard can sign up to attend a free leadership summit this summer. April 16 is the deadline to apply for the 2010 AFR/ANG Teen Leadership Summits. Participants must be 14 to 18 years old.
Applications and instructions are available online at www.georgia4h.org/AFRANGTeenSummit. To attend one of the following sessions, teens must answer essay questions and complete code of conduct and transportation forms: ...

That Burt Rutan memo to Congressman Wolf in full from Hyperbola
Burt Rutan has given Hyperbola permission to print in full the original memo the founder of Scaled Composites sent to Congressman Frank Wolf that was the basis for the Wall Street Journal article that has sparked so much comment including from Rutan himself. Rutan's further comments that he released on 26 February can be found here in Hyperbola's previous blog posting about this episode in the US national debate over what NASA should do next ...

Say what you will about George Lucas, but when the man sets his mind to something, you can bet he's going to get it done one way or another. Such is the case with Red Tails, the story of the Tuskegee Airmen, the first African-American pilots to fly in a combat squadron during WWII, as an inside Secret Squirrel source told me that Lucas (serving as executive producer) was very displeased with TV director Anthony Hemingway's work, and is taking it upon himself to direct some massive reshoots. With these re-shoots come some hefty re-writes which I'm told completely change the main characters and their storylines.
Principal photography wrapped in November last year with Terrence Howard, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Bryan Cranston starring in a fictional story of the historic and heroic exploits of America's first all black aerial combat unit in WWII. While the film is supposed to be in post-production right now, instead, Lucas' producing partner Rick McCallum is said to be pouring over dailies right now, trying to salvage whatever footage they can from Hemingway's work in order to figure out exactly how much will need to be re-shot. Combine that massive undertaking with an attempt to keep from going over budget if at all possible (even though this is a Lucasfilm project), and McCallum should be feeling quite a bit of stress about this project.
No word on how soon these re-shoots will be taking place (or specific details on the re-writes behind them) or how much this will delay its release. Either way, this doesn't bode well for Red Tails or Hemingway, who might find some difficulty getting more work in the future. On the flipside, Lucas hasn't exactly been at the top of his game as of late, but maybe directing something outside of the Star Wars universe will allow him to show the side that struggled to get films like American Graffiti out. Like the Winter Warlock in that old claymation "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," I hope he has just a little magic left to put on the big screen.Update:Lucasfilm has been emailing various websites claiming that this story is inaccurate, however we are standing our ground and not changing our story, because we know that everything above is accurate and true, despite what Lucasfilm says. Other webmasters with deep industry connections have started supporting us as well, saying, "Lucasfilm Red Tails story is 1000% accurate, nuff said." Despite what you may be hearing about this story elsewhere, our sources are legitimate and this scoop is 100% accurate.

Burt Rutan sets the record straight from Hyperbola by Rob Coppinger | Burt Rutan has released the following statement: To my friends in the Press... Since the WSJ chose to cherry-pick and miss-quote my comments to Cong Wolf and since the blogs have taken that to further mischaracterized my comments, I am forwarding the Wolf memo in its entirety, in the hopes that some of this gets corrected. Some additional clarification of my thoughts follow…

Goulian Team 99 on SPEED Channel from Mike Goulian Airshows by Karin | This past week a film production crew for a new television series (coming this summer) spent two days at our race and air show headquarters in North Andover, Mass filming Team 99. This series, called INTERSECTIONS, will feature our Red Bull Air Race team in one of the episodes. Each episode takes two seemingly different "speed" machines and compares the similarities between them and their drivers or pilots. The production company, Blue Chip Films, interviewed Michael and our team to get insight to racing in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship. The interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, practice flight footage, and race footage (courtesy of Red Bull Air Race), will prove to be very exciting! Team 99 will be paired up against an Acura Le Mans Racer! The first episode airs on SPEED Channel June 2nd (check your local listings). We don't have the air date for our episode, but we'll keep you posted. Click here for more information on INTERSECTIONS.

Here we go again!by Adelle's Belles | The Air Race Classic is a transcontinental air race for women pilots, and has been raced in one form or another for more than 80 years. Each year the route is different, but it is always a VFR (visual flight rules) race in daytime ...

Oshkosh is Coming- More Features Added from Alabama Aviator - Aviation News | Aviation's family reunion is less than six months away - July 26 - August 1- Soon, enthusiasts from around the world will descend on Wisconsin for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2010. We'd like nothing better than to see you here, sharing the camaraderie, excitement, innovations, education, entertainment, inspiration ... all the special elements that come together at only one place on earth, only one week each year…

Oshkosh Site Changes for 2010 Mean More Ease, Less Dust from News from EAA AirVenture Oshkosh | AirVenture 2009 introduced some of the most significant site changes in the fly-in's history. The good news for those coming to Oshkosh in 2010 is that there are more changes on the way that will add convenience and comfort for EAA members and others at the event.

Harrison Ford urged to avoid "unnecessary" flights - Aviation eBrief - Environmentalists have urged actor and pilot Harrison Ford to avoid unnecessary trips in his private airscraft. I guess Dr. Buckley has never had the pleasure of a "$100.00 hamburger" on a CAVU day. Such flights support jobs at the restaurants, local airports, the fixed-base operators, maintenace personnel, aircraft and engine manufacturers, and even ATC personnel. Mr. Ford's economic contribution far exceeds his carbon emissions; which science awaits a valid peer review.

Fla. mayors skydive for military support - UPI.com | US Army officials said 13 Florida mayors have signed up to skydive with the Golden Knights parachute team as a show of support for the military. ...

Wings of Freedom comes to Gulf Coast - WALA-TV FOX10 | Bill Lolaschi flew a B-17 plane this in World War Two. He was in the Air Force and remembers his experience like it was yesterday. ...

Distance learning - "When I think of distance learning it's the internet that comes to mind. I'm sure there must be some Open University stuff on TV these days, but I never seem to stumble across it, or its seventies style lecturers. So what's this? This DC-6 was operated by Purdue University, it took off, lowered its TV transmission antenna and loitered while broadcasting educational programs. I'm told the crew had access to parachutes, just in case the antenna failed to retract for landing! There's a great Popular Mecahnics article from January 1961 here.

Worlds' first practical jetpack!! from PPRuNe Forums by sharksandwich | Going up in the world? Beat the rush hour with first commercial jetpack for £50,000 | By Claire Bates - It is the perfect way for city high-fliers to miss the morning rush hour. A company is set to produce the first commercial JETPACKS - and one could be yours for just £50,000. The traffic jam-beating packs will be manufactured after a multi-million pound deal was signed with an international aircraft company this week. Martin Aircraft Company, in Christchurch, New Zealand, aims to make 500 packs a year allowing first-person propulsion through the skies for commuters…

Flying the Boeing 747 from Roger-Wilco by phil | Previously the two jet types I had flown were the Vickers VC10 and the Boeing 707, both excellent in their way but not as magnificent as the 747. It was not just its size that made it so. In contrast to the various earlier types of jet transports, which all had some handling vices, the 747 had none. And, again, in contrast to the earlier types it had more system redundancy than any of them. The only handling vice that I could find (if it was a vice at all) was that the nose wheel could skate along the surface if one tried to turn when taxiing at too fast a speed…

Aviation Trivia of the Day by JP Santiago - Several weeks after the disastrous Munich Pact was signed in 1938, the British Air Ministry initiated a massive expansion of the Royal Air Force in anticipation of the coming war. As the planned expansion was beyond the capacity of British aircraft factories at the time, the Air Ministry also looked abroad at foreign sources of aircraft to meet the needs of an expanding RAF. In January 1939, Air Ministry representatives visited the Caproni factory in Milan, Italy to examine the Caproni Ca 310 light twin which had potential as a crew trainer. Surprisingly, in light of the European tensions at the time, the visit by the British was officially sanctioned by the Italian government…

Today in Aviation History – Podcast starts March 1stby Mike | The second show here on Geek of the North will begin as a daily (7 days a week) podcast talking about all the things that happened on this day in history of aviation. As you know, I am an aviation geek and I'm also a History geek. ...

On This Day in Aviation History: February 26thby Phil Derner Jr. - Eastern Air Lines Flight 21 crashes with the airline's President on board, A-4 Skyhawk production ends, Philippine Airlines is founded, Piedmont carries its millionth passenger, Continental begins codesharing with Air France starts and more…

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Vulcan campaign boosted by donation by Flightline UK
The Vulcan to the Sky trust has received an anonomous donation of £458,000 securing the short term future of the project. The donation has meant the £800,000 target of funding by the end of march has been exceeded allowing work to return XH558 back to the air for the 2010 airshow season to move forward. The trust now have to collect the thousands pledged over the last few months
This year sees XH558 celebrate it's 50th birthday. Marshalls of Cambridge will be undertaking some life extension work on the aircraft which should see it remain airworthy beyond the 2010 airshow season. ...

Thunderbirds to headline AirFest 2010 - lackland.af.mil
Months of preparation for AirFest 2010 began last week as the Air Force Thunderbirds advance pilot visited Lackland to begin planning for the demonstration team's performances during the air show Nov. 6 - 7. Maj.

Valkaria Air Fest: Made by pilots, with pilots, for you from AOPA News
When you need to put your airport in the best light, show, don't tell. Pilots and aviation enthusiasts in and around Grant-Valkaria, Fla. did just that Feb. 21, holding the fourth annual Valkaria Air Fest.

A Former Blue Angel Lands at Janus - MutualFundWire.com
He served as an officer, aviator, and flight instructor in the USMC. He trained at the US Navy Fighter Weapons School and was a demonstration pilot with the ...

Coastal airshow to mark Battle of Britain anniversary - BBC News
The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight will perform on each day of the show
An East Sussex airshow is to mark 70 years since the Battle of Britain with a series of special displays.
The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, which features Spitfires, Hurricanes and a Lancaster, will perform on each day of the Eastbourne Airbourne.
The Red Arrows and Eurofighter Typhoon will also be featured during the four-day event in August.
Eastbourne council announced the free event lost £50,000 last year, compared to a £360,000 loss in 2008. ...

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Red Arrows join marathon effort - BECKENHAM and BIGGIN HILL
This is Local London | A PAIR of Red Arrows pilots will be swapping their flying boots for running shoes when they take part in this year's London Marathon. ...

Wednesday - Sunday, Apr 21-25, 2010 - Bensen Days 2010, Wauchula, FL from FunPlacesToFly
Gyroplane, Gyro, Giro, Gyrocopter or whatever you call it, it is a type of aircraft that pilots don't just fly but are addicted to. Yet this amazing, affordable, nimble aircraft is one of the most misunderstood machines in aviation history. Odds are that you have never piloted a gyroplane and even pretty good that you have never even seen one fly in person. Yet opinions abound. Those who fly them think that when properly maintained and piloted they are the safest type of aircraft for recreational flying. They can not stall or spin, they land with little or no ground roll, they land with full control even without power. The inherent engineering flaws which lead to problems like powered push over (PPO) and pilot induced oscillation (PIO) in the past, have been designed out of modern machines. The 37th Annual Bensen Days Gyroplane Fly In will take place at the Wauchula Municipal Airport (CHN) in Wauchula, Florida Wednesday April 21 through Sunday April 25th 2010. Hosted by Sunstate Wing and Rotor Club this event named after one of the pioneers in homebuilt flying Igor Bensen, is the largest Gryoplane Fly In, in the eastern US. Contact: Scott Lewis, bslewis@ambassadorpest.com

Bensen Days 2010 from Airplanes Channel
Gyroplane enthusiasts from all over the country will be attending the Bensen Days 2010 event, as it is dedicated to these fascinating aircrafts. It will be the events' 37th celebration, and will be focused on paying tribute to one of history's most celebrated gyroplane pioneers, namely Igor Bensen. Benson Days 2010 will be hosted by the ...

Doolittle Tokyo Raiders to be honored during free concert April 17 from National Museum of the USAF Top Stories
The Doolittle Tokyo Raiders will be honored in a special way during their 68th reunion with a tribute concert performed by the U.S. Air Force's "Airmen of Note" at Wright State University's Nutter Center on April 17 at 7:30 p.m.
The concert, which is free to the public, will feature patriotic and WWII era music. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. No tickets are necessary and seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Created in 1950 to carry on the tradition of Major Glenn Miller's Army Air Corps dance band, the "Airmen of Note" features 18 of the most talented jazz musicians in the country and is one of the last touring big bands. As a result, they have earned an international reputation as one of the finest and most versatile big bands of its kind in the world. ...

Touching tour of WWII planes at New Orleans Lakefront Airport - NOLA.com (photo: Dylan Slagle / The Times-Picayune)
When the Wings of Freedom Tour's trio of World War II airplanes landed at the New Orleans Lakefront Airport a year ago, the small crowd of enthusiasts who had been waiting for them found a gap in the fence and ambled prematurely toward the ominous antiques.
But not 86-year-old Paul Laudumiey, who was a tail gunner on a B-24 during the war. Even when folks were officially allowed to approach the planes, Laudumiey stayed way back by the gate.
"I wouldn't care to get any closer than this," he said. "As far as going inside? No, never. When I got out the last time, I swore that would be the last time I got into it."
Laudumiey said that 60-some years ago he flew 26 or 27 missions through the Himalayan mountains to bomb Japanese-occupied islands. The low point came when a flyer who replaced him on a mission was killed.
I'm a hopeless history nerd, so reporting on the carefully preserved B-24, B-17 and P-51 planes was as fun as a day at Jazz Fest for me. For the white-haired gentlemen wandering slowly around the flying dinosaurs, the experience was something else. ...

Bright future for air racer as Hall looks to V8's from www.redbullairrace.com:
Australia's only Red Bull Air Race pilot Matt Hall will take time out from his busy flying schedule on Friday to meet Fujitsu Racing Team star Jason Bright at the Sydney 500 V8 Supercar event at Homebush.
Hall, who finished third in his rookie Red Bull Air Race season this year, and Bright, who sits 20th in the Championship Series Driver Championship, will spend some time sharing information about their respective race day preparations, performance management and team operations.
Bright is also scheduled to take Hall on a "Hot Lap", something the former RAAF pilot is excited about. ...

Up close to the launch - Wicked Local Stow
Michael Goulian, an airshow pilot who also competes in Red Bull Air Race World Championship, watched the STS-130 space shuttle launch in ...

Women in Aviation conference kicks off from General Aviation News
The 21st Annual Women in Aviation Conference kicks off today and runs through Feb. 27 at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Buena Vista, Florida. The theme of this year's conference is "Aviation: It's a Small World."
Attendees are expected from more than a dozen countries worldwide, according to organizers. Speakers include ...

International group of women pilots to share flight experiences at Seattle museum from General Aviation News
As part of WomenFly!, The Museum of Flight's annual Women's History Month event, an international panel of women pilots will share their experiences in the world of aviation March 6. This year's panel includes women pilots from almost every continent. Their experiences include flights in the Australian outback, Alaskan wilderness, Antarctic slopes, African plains and the urban landscapes of Europe, Japan, South Africa and the United States. The program is at 2 p.m. in the William M. Allen Theater, and is free with admission to the museum. ...

Fantasy of Flight founder wins 'Freedom of Flight' award from General Aviation News
Kermit Weeks, creator and founder of Fantasy of Flight in Florida, recently received the "Bob Hoover Freedom of Flight Award" at the 7th Annual Living Legends of Aviation Awards, which is often called the Academy Awards of Aviation....

WACO Classic: Hand-Crafted Perfection (Check Out The Virtual 360 Cockpit!) from AirPigz
Back in March of 1986 something really cool happened: the first 'brand new' WACO YMF Classic was completed as a fully certified aircraft under the original WACO type certificate. Just like the one pictured above, the WACO Classics look exactly like the original YMF of the 1930's except that they've been modernized where it makes sense and are available with fully updated instrumentation.
Click the panel pic above to go to an awesome 360 degree hi-res picture that puts you right in the pilot's seat so you can check out that instrumentation. (mouse around for a full 360 view)
You might not know that the YMF is one of the WACO designs from the golden age of aviation that has a front cockpit big enough for two. That helps makes these biplanes a good choice for scenic ride takers. It's a lot more likely you'll be profitable when you've got two paying passengers on board! Plus, two seats up front makes the ride more fun for those a little unsure about riding in an open cockpit. As for me, I don't think it gets any better than a round engine, an open cockpit and two wings! That's some pure avgeek perfection : )
These gorgeous airplanes are built by the WACO Classic Aircraft Corporation in Battle Creek, Michigan. Company president Peter Bowers says they've been able to stay busy during the tough economic times, tho the backlog isn't very deep. The fact that they haven't had layoffs ...

Readers will have the chance to again meet our news staff: A Place in the Sun - Sun Star Courier
HISTORY LESSON — The history of the Cleveland Municipal Airport will be presented by Bill Meixner during a free program at 2 p.m. Sunday at the North Ridgeville Branch of the Lorain Public Library System, 35700 Bainbridge Road.
Meixner, an air racing historian, will share little-known facts about Cleveland's major airport, now known as Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, including how it was planned and opened in the 1920s and how it has changed over the years.

Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington to host Aircrew Association historian, Air ... - The Press, York
A JEWISH airman shot down over Nazi Germany will visit Yorkshire Air Museum to tell of his Second World War exploits. The Behind Enemy Lines event in ...Roscosmos starts Gagarin 50th anniversary preparation from Hyperbola by Rob Coppinger
With over a year to go before the 50th anniversary of the beginning of human spaceflight on 12 April 2011 the Russian Federal Space Agency (aka Roscosmos) has already started a Yuri Gagarin 50th anniversary webpage to collect Gagarin memorabilia and then showcase it on the website. The first flight of a human being into space is celebrated every year around the world on 12 April under the banner of "Yuri's night", no doubt the celebrations will be bigger and better than ever on the 50th anniversary. The video above is in Russian and also shows Sergei Pavlovich Korolev, mastermind of the Soviet space programme ...

Strap on a pack and fly away? Martin Aircraft can make it happen - no pilot's license required - NY Daily News
Want to strap a pack onto your back and fly away - no pilot's licence required? With the help of Martin Aircraft, you can now make your dream a reality.
Martin Aircraft Co. of New Zealand has plans to begin manufacturing personal jet packs, which will cost about $77,000 each, according to the Telegraph. The packs were first unveiled last July by inventor Glenn Martin.
With a 200 horsepower dual-propeller, the jet packs are capable of ...